Daring dairy lovers from around the world descended on Cooper’s Hill in Gloucestershire for the annual cheese rolling race.
Contestants ran, slipped and fell down the near-vertical incline in an effort to reach a 7-pound wheel of Double Gloucester – a semi-hard cheese known for its strong, savory flavor.
The difficult run is notoriously dangerous, with bumps and bruises almost guaranteed for the many reckless cheese chasers who tend to tumble down the hill rather than run.
Emergency services did not attend this year’s event but said they would respond to calls.
Few competitors can remain standing the entire way down the 180-metre hill in Brockworth, southwest England.
The race begins when the so-called “Cheese Master” rolls a Double Gloucester down the hill.
Photo: PA
The competitors then follow, with the first one to reach the bottom getting the cheese.
This year’s hill was especially slippery and muddy after recent rain. Members of a local rugby club lined up at the back to catch falling competitors.
Three men’s downhill races and one women’s downhill race took place between noon and 1:30 p.m.
Winners of the three men’s races included local Josh Shepherd, as well as competitors from Germany and Australia.
American YouTuber IShowSpeed was among those who took part in one of the men’s races – and paid a visit to the medical tent after suffering bruises on the way down the hill.
Photo: PA
American YouTuber iShowSpeed, left and wearing a white t-shirt, fell while chasing the cheese. Photo: PA
Abby Lampe of North Carolina in the USA won the women’s race by rolling down the hill at a speed that left the rest of the field behind.
“Just roll,” said Lampe, a graduate of North Carolina State University who also won in 2022.
She added: “There is some pain, but it will only be temporary.”
Dozens of children and adults also competed in safer and slower, but no less grueling, versions of the race, which is traditionally held on a national holiday in late May.
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Abby Lampe got muddy during the winning run. Photo: PA
The annual cheese rolling event in Gloucestershire is believed to have been going on for centuries, although its exact origins are unknown.
The first written evidence of the event was found in a message sent to the Town Crier of Gloucester in 1826.
However, it is said that it was already an ancient tradition at that time.
Some believe it started as a way to claim grazing rights on the land around Cooper’s Hill – while others think it could have been a fertility ritual.
About 20 miles from Cooper’s Hill on Monday, competitors in the town of Tetbury carried bags of wool weighing up to 60 pounds (27 kg) on a 240-yard (220-meter) course up and down the steep Gumstool Hill.
The Tetbury Woolsack Races have been held since 1972, taking inspiration from a local tradition dating back to the 17th century in the historic wool trading town.
This story originally appeared on News.sky.com read the full story
